An extensive study of self-sacrificial images in Indian art, this book examines concepts such as head-offering, human sacrifice, blood, suicide, valour, self-immolation, and self-giving in the context of religion and politics to explore why these images were produced and how they became paradigms of heroism.

When an earthquake shakes California, Alys, Janie, Charles and Claudia suspect it isn’t just a typical earthquake. A year and a half after their journey into the Wildworld, they believe that the Passage between their world, the Stillworld, and that parallel universe of legend and danger may no longer be stable. With their parents overseas and the great sorceress Morgana Shee traveling north to find the epicenter of the quake, the siblings are left on their own. But peril lurks around every corner. A magical attack sends the Hodges-Bradley kids’ on a journey that will test all of their skills, including Janie’s sorcery and Claudia’s ability to communicate with animals. Morgana’s archrival, Thia Pendriel, is waiting. With Heart of Valor, the Forgotten Gem she has stolen, Thia’s power is almost limitless—and she is ready to spring her trap.

Together they fight a dangerous enemy. Can their hearts of valor prevail?Hunter Stone and the North-West Mounted Police are faced with establishing themselves as the law on the rugged Canadian frontier. They discover that an evil trader, Armand Sweet, has been smuggling shipments of whisky into the North-West Territories, and Sweet becomes the focus of the Mounties' relentless search.Reena O'Donnell has continued her work as a young missionary among an Indian tribe of the Blackfoot Nation. But she finds that she must deal with the ongoing breakdowns of tribal customs due largely due to the whiskey influence, and she must try to bring a renegade young man, Drew Eagle, under control before violence erupts.Together she and Hunter fight against their common enemy, the dangerous whisky trade. When Armand Sweet eventually is arrested and the true source of the illegal shipments is revealed, the shocking evidence points to someone they know. Hunter and Reena come into a direct confrontation with the heart of evil and are led down a dark trail of high suspense.A declaration of love is made. But is he truly ready for what lies ahead?

"In an increasingly broken world, Woman of Valor brings a much-needed call to action for women to be courageous. I encourage you to delve into this captivating book." —Lauren Perdue Olympic gold medalist in swimming Deep Down, Don't You Long to Be a World-Changer? Did you know that the famed Proverbs 31 woman was more than just a "virtuous woman"? In Hebrew, she is called a woman of valor. And if you think the Bible paints women as "less than," better look again! Inspirational speaker Marilynn Chadwick, a former agnostic, was fascinated by the powerful portrayals of women right in the pages of Scripture—courageous women who fought wars, foiled genocidal plots, and raised world-changing kids. Like these women, you were designed by God to bravely and faithfully give life to the world around you. More than just a virtuous woman, you were created to be a woman of valor. Marilynn invites you on a quest to discover your true calling. Step into real-life stories of incredible women in her own community, along with those she has met in her travels to India, Lebanon, Sudan, and more. Women who share beautiful and powerful traits you can uncover and incorporate into your own life to become a world-changing woman of valor. Includes a VALOR QUEST study guide to help you embark on a unique and life-changing journey

New York Times best-selling author Ally Carter's middle grade debut is full of mystery, mayhem, and friendship, and it will keep you guessing until the very end. April had absolutely no intention of becoming the only person who knows that Gabriel Winterborne, the missing-and-presumed-dead billionaire, is actually living in the basement of Winterborne House, sharpening his swords and looking for vengeance. Now it's up to April to keep him alive. But there's only so much a twelve-year-old girl can do, so April must turn to the other orphans for help. Together, they'll have to unravel the riddle of a missing heir and a creepy legend, and find a secret key, before the only home they've ever known is lost to them forever.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Stephanie Garber’s THE BALLAD OF NEVER AFTER is the jaw-dropping sequel to the ONCE UPON A BROKEN HEART, starring Evangeline Fox and the Prince of Hearts on a new journey of magic, mystery, and heartbreak Not every love is meant to be. After Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, betrays her, Evangeline Fox swears she'll never trust him again. Now that she’s discovered her own magic, Evangeline believes she can use it to restore the chance at happily ever after that Jacks stole away. But when a new terrifying curse is revealed, Evangeline finds herself entering into a tenuous partnership with the Prince of Hearts again. Only this time, the rules have changed. Jacks isn’t the only force Evangeline needs to be wary of. In fact, he might be the only one she can trust, despite her desire to despise him. Instead of a love spell wreaking havoc on Evangeline’s life, a murderous spell has been cast. To break it, Evangeline and Jacks will have to do battle with old friends, new foes, and a magic that plays with heads and hearts. Evangeline has always trusted her heart, but this time she’s not sure she can. . . . Also by Stephanie Garber: The Caraval Series - Caraval - Legendary - Finale

The second book in Tanya Huff's action-packed military sci-fi adventure Confederation series Never tell a two-star general what you really think of him.... That was the mistake Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr made with General Morris. But as a battle-hardened professional, she took pride in doing her job and getting her troops back alive. So after she'd saved the mission to bring the Silviss into the Confederation—instead of losing them and their world to the enemy known only as the Others—she let the general know exactly how she felt. And Torin’s reward—or punishment—was to be separated from her platoon and sent off on what might well prove an even more perilous assignment. She was commandeered to protect a scientific expedition to a newly discovered and seemingly derelict spaceship of truly epic proportions. And Confederation politics had saddled her with a commanding officer who might prove more of a menace to the mission’s success than anything they encountered. Only time would tell if the ship was what it appeared to be, or a trap created by the Others—or the work of an as-yet unknown alien race with an agenda that could prove all too hostile to other life forms....

When Claudia Hodges-Bradley meets a fox, she knows it will be an extraordinary day. Not just any fox, this vixen is the magical familiar of the sorceress Morgana Shee. For years, Morgana has guarded the solitary gate between Earth and the Wildworld, a shimmering parallel universe where legends still live. She alone holds the secret of the mirrors that serve as the last surviving passage to enchantment. But Morgana has been betrayed and imprisoned in the Wildworld, and the fox is determined to recruit Claudia and her siblings for the rescue mission. Armed only with courage and determination, Alys, Charles, Jane and Claudia must save Morgana before the winter solstice, when evil sorcerer Cadel Forge plans to escape the Wildworld and conquer Earth. And with December 21stonly 2 weeks away, there is no time to lose…

A steamy YA romance inspired by Gaston Leroux's classic The Phantom of the Opera Seventeen-year-old Stephanie Armand doesn't believe in ghosts or spirits. Despite her six-year-old sister insisting a masked figure is hiding in her closet, and the rumors at school, Stephanie isn't convinced her father's latest renovation project--a crumbling Victorian mansion--houses the soul of a monster. So when the very charming (and paranormal-obsessed) Lucas Cheney takes an interest in both Stephanie and her notorious home, Moldavia, the supernatural and romantic activity escalates to an all-time high. But then there's Erik-- the dashing British boy, seemingly from another era, who's taken up residence in Stephanie's nightly dreams. A boy who may have something to do with the man in the mask, and the strange occurrences taking place at Moldavia.